Black Women, Their Hair, and the Gym

My dearest fellow kinky-haired women of color, we can’t let maintaining our hair do get in the way of staying alive and brimming with health. Exercise is vital to good health. With African Americans being at higher risk for certain diseases such as diabetes, we need to take special precautionary measures. I can imagine some of you saying, “But what about my press? I can’t be sweatin’ it out. I gotta go to work tomorrow.” I completely understand and so does Whole Lifestyles trainer Lisa Priestly who prescribes some nifty solutions.

First, try planning your most intense exercises around your hair appointments. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people perform a minimum of one set of eight to ten exercises that involve the major muscle groups two to three times a week. Planning appropriately will allow you to get in the suggested amount of exercise without compromising your professional appearance too much. Secondly, for those times when your hair appointment is a ways off, you can still get in a workout without sweating out your hair because Priestly has a list of exercises that will put the fire in your abs with out bustin’ naps. Check out these low key exercises here, and stay healthy, ladies!